1. Support: it’s a well-known fact that paid versions offer better customer support than the freemiums. When you invest your money in an embroidery app or software, you’ll have the benefit of accessing all its feature updates as well as a highly responsive technical customer support. This means that all the issues you have with your app will get solved instantly.

For most of the free apps and software, their developers aren’t obliged to solve their user problems.

2. A free app might not meet all your needs. While there are some of the free apps that will fit your specific embroidery design needs, you’ll be disappointed to note that most of them will not. Take for instance the paid software that come with free versions. They let you access only the basic features. And if you want to get all the advanced features for a better design experience, you’ll have to upgrade to the paid version.

Based on these two arguments, it’s easy to see that a paid version will expose you to better design experience than the free version.

So, which one should you go with?

The final decision should be based on your specific preferences. If you're just learning how to make embroidery designs, you can start with the free versions and move on to the paid versions when you’ve perfected your skill.

And if you want professional, quality results (say for your customers), then you should go for premium software.

Now let’s turn our focus to the 10 most popular embroidery software reviews…

10 Best Embroidery Digitizing Software Reviews:

1. Embrilliance Essentials Embroidery Machine Software

At the top of our list, we have the Embrilliance Essentials Embroidery Machine Software. This is a comprehensive design software that grants you impressive features and functions at a great price.

Ideal for beginners and professionals alike, this software is incredibly easy to use. It is also accessible for both Mac and PC users. It enables you to resize, edit, merge and even overlap your designs. It also allows you to remove understitching, add lettering and monograms, convert thread brands, to name but a few.

We particularly loved the fact that this software allows you to floppy disks and USB devices, which means that even your embroidery machine will take advantage of the program.

Changing and removing of individual colors in all designs is also supported by this program. It actually allows you to run a simulator to see exactly how your designs will look like when sewn. This way, you can easily adjust your designs to ensure they match your specific expectations.

Overall, if you’re looking for the perfect starter or enthusiast embroidery software at an affordable cost, this is the best deal you’ll get on the market.

2. Amazing Designs LETTER IT! Embroidery Machine Software

The Amazing Designs Embroidery Machine Software is another great software you can invest in today for customizing all your embroidery designs. as a feature-packed program, it provides you with everything you need to create eye-catching designs for your clients.

Also falling within an affordable range, this software enables you to create either single or multi-line embroidered text in up to 35 fonts. Whether you wish to add text to your embroidery designs or you’re just using fashionable layouts such as vertical or circle text, this software will let you do all that.

The program also enables you to adjust the pull compensation, merge lettering with your designs, select your preferred background color, view with stitch points, grid, or realistic preview, among other functions. It offers you up to 19 thread charts that help you easily match a selected thread palette on loading.

With the included drawbar stitch simulator print, you’ll be able to view how your designs will look like when you finally stitch them.

Remember that this software is ideal for PC and come at a great price, making it the right deal for those looking for a feature-packed software at an affordable cost.

3. Brother ELS Embroidery Lettering Monogramming Software

If you swear by Brother products, you might want to consider this embroidery software for Brother. this is another highly popular program that you’ll find really helpful for all your lettering and monogramming needs and requirements.

Beginners, in particular, will appreciate how easy to use this package is, yet it’s packed with all the tools and features you’ll need to build truly quality designs that match your clients’ expectations.

You’ll also be able to open and save your embroidery designs in all the common machine formats—including the vp3, vip, shv, pcs, hus, pes v6, pes v8, brf, jef, sew, pes, xxx, exp, dst, among others.

Like our previous program, this Brother is also meant for use with Windows Vista, XP, and 7. It can work with a genuine Intel Pentium IV 2GHz or bigger memory and 1GB RAM monitor. Note that you’ll need an internet connection to successfully activate the product license.

Embrilliance StitchArtist Level 1 is an excellent example of a standalone digitizing embroidery software that will allow you to build great embroidery designs from scratch.

The program lets you alter the pre-existing artwork or draw your own designs from scratch, using stitches. If you opt to draw a design from scratch, you simply set the type of stitch and properties, control the shapes, and the software will generate the stitches for you.

Unlike other digitizing software that look complicated, this model program comes with a super-easy, highly intuitive interface. In other words, it eliminates the difficulty associated with embroidery software so that users of all skill levels can comfortably operate it.

One way in which it makes it easy for operate is using a single mode to set stitches, draw, rotate, edit, size, sequence, and even set properties of the design objects.

You only need to learn the basics of this software and everything will be easy! The included user guide will teach you all the basics in a step-by-step outline.

This program can also read/write in a wider variety of machine file formats, meaning it can work with various embroidery machine that has capabilities of using files off the computer.

Regarding OS compatibility, the program works with both Mac and Windows, so it’s ideal for users from both words.

5. BuzzXplore v2 Premier Embroidery Design Management

If you’re looking for the best tool for efficiently organizing and managing all your embroidery designs, look no further! BuzzXplore v2 gives you the easiest, most complete platform for looking after all your designs on the computer.

The design management software acts as a browser, organizer, converter, instant 3D viewer, zip processor, and embroidery drive writer. It’s simply the best all-in-one management program you can get on the market today.

Because it works like the Microsoft Windows Explorer, this program is pretty intuitive to operate and will look familiar right from the first time you open it.

All the essential tools you need to organize and find your design files are included in this software—they include cut, copy, paste, drag and drop, sort, locate, print, zip and unzip, rename, convert, and so much more.

6. Amazing Designs Monogram It Stand Alone Monogramming Software

Creating completely unique monograms has never been this easy, thanks to the Amazing Designs Monogram It software. The standalone software allows you to embroider monograms using a wide range of frames, fonts, and decorative designs.

The feature-packed program presents you with handy editing tools and options like rotate, flip vertical, flip horizontal, color advance, etc., to make the design process easy and smooth. To come up with amazing monograms, you’ll get the chance to choose from 24 monogram fonts plus 2 applique fonts, 25 built-in monogram frames, and 39 integrated embroidery designs.

The software lets you view how your monograms will look like when sews, using the Draw Bar. You’ll also be able to merge designs with the monograms “Recipes” recommended stabilizer, fabric view your saved designs, needle and thread your designs, save your designs to the most common embroidery file formats...and so much more!

The software is compatible with Windows, making it ideal for PC users. It can work with either 32 or 62bit Window versions. To run it successfully, you’ll need 1GB RAM, 1GB hard disk space, and Pentium IV 2.0 GHz (or higher) processor.

7. Amazing Designs Digitize N Stitch Software

Amazing Designs Digitize N Stitch Software is a great starting point for all home embroidery enthusiasts. Skilled folks can also count on it to make impressive embroidery designs easily and quickly.

The main reason behind the program’s explosive popularity lies in its automated operation. it lets you automatically produce unique applique, embroidery designs, border, and cross-stitch, with only a few clicks.

With this auto-digitizing software, you can easily bring in your favorite clip art or even scanned images and successfully convert them to stitches. Whatever you look you want in embroidery, you can always achieve it using the Digitize N Stitch Software.

Like most of the other top-rated embroidery software, this program also allows you to adjust your graphic file size to match the size you prefer in your finished design. And don’t forget it supports an extended range of digital artwork formats—like WMF, EMF, AI, Vector, BMP, JPG, TIF, TGA, PCX, etc.

Built with absolute beginners in mind, the program also features easy-to-follow wizards that guide you through the entire process of creating the design, step by step.

8. 1 X Embrilliance Thumbnailer (CD version)

If you’re looking for the best embroidery software for Mac at a pocket-friendly price, say hello to the Embrilliance Thumbnailer. This software acts as the ultimate solution for embroidery enthusiasts who have been having troubles finding the perfect designs for their projects.

The program is extremely easy to install (no special skills needed), and even easier to run. And once installed, the program will open floodgates to all the tools and functions you need to produce quality, eye-grabbing designs for your own or your clients’ projects.

The program visually shows you all your designs by offering you a sneak-peak of what your stitched design will look like. This is such an awesome for those who would like to view their embroidery files without necessarily opening the software.

If you’re wondering whether this program can support your embroidery machine format, the answer is YES! The program supports up to 28 embroidery formats (and more will be added in future upgrades). In addition to that, it provides you with 6 quilting formats and will display the embroidery formats embedded in zipped folders.

Keep in mind that this software is compatible with both Windows (XP (32-bit), Vista/7/8/8.1/10 (32&64 bit)) and Mac (Mac OSX v: 10.5 and above) operating software, so everyone will enjoy using it.

We have another software from Embrilliance on our second last position. This particular software lets you edit your designs, copy, cut, paste sections, fix registration, adjust density, and so much more.

The software presents you with easy to use editing, customizing, and design splitting features that even total beginners will have an easy time using.

What actually places this program on the map is the full range of advanced editing features it gives you access to. These include advanced sizing controls, advanced stitch properties, advanced thread editor, among others. Additional features offered by this app include—baste hoop, multiple hooping, carousel, scatter, mirror x4, instant repeat, precise position, to name but a few.

Like all the other programs covered in this list, this software can read/write an extensive range of embroidery file formats. It’s also compatible with both Mac and Windows operating systems.

Brother PE Design Plus is the last best embroidery digitizing software on our list. This package comes designed to help you turn your favorite fabrics, paintings, photos, etc., into embroidered works of art.

This package comes with PhotoStitch and Flip-Pal™ mobile scanner, the two Brother’s most advanced features. With these two special functions, you can scan just any photo, fabric, painting, etc., and then convert the scanned images into quality digitized embroidery designs. You can then stitch these files on an embroidery machine.

Thanks to the Flip-Pal™ mobile scanner, you’ll be able to keep all your precious photos, documents, and other memories safe by scanning them and keeping them in one place.

What To Look For Before Buying?

Choosing the best embroidery software might not be a walk in the park for you, especially if you’re a beginner.

You want to make sure that you get something that meets all your specific design needs and expectations and at the same time match your budget.

The following aspects will help you land on the perfect embroidery software at the market:

Compatibility (PC or Mac?

Not all the embroidery software on the market are designed to work with all operating systems.

Therefore, it’s crucial that you always check that the one you’re planning to buy will work with your computer. If you have a PC, you should go for anything that works with Windows. And if you’ve got a Mac, you should look for a Macintosh embroidery software (or MacOS-compatible app).

Still, on the compatibility issue, you’d want to look for a software that’s also compatible with your embroidery machine.

Types of patterns

Another essential thing to consider when buying an embroidery software is the type of patterns it presents you with (or its design capabilities).

Some programs will only let you come up with new or alter the pre-existing designs. Others will provide you with an extensive range of tools for embroidery, knitting, crocheting, etc.

By looking at the features a program provides you with, you’ll easily conclude if it will meet your needs and expect. In other words, see if the software will help you achieve your design goals.

Support

The user support is everything for embroidery software, and basically any other software you’ll ever buy.

That said, you’d want to make sure that the developers of the software you wish to buy offer an excellent customer support service. This will ensure that any issues you have with the program will get resolved quickly—giving you a smooth design experience with the software.

Price

With so many embroidery softwares on the market today, from different developers, with different features, design capabilities, etc., the price is sure to differ from model to model.

With that in mind, you should also plan the amount of cash you wish to spend in the machine.

Remember that you’ll get what you pay for. The more you spend, the more features and tools a program will present you with.

For those looking for a software to use for industrial embroidery machines, we recommend you to cough up more money to spend in a better app that will give you quality, professional work that all your clients will love.

ONLY buy licensed software

If you go for unlicensed software, you might not be able to enjoy all the after sale benefits that come with it.

You might think that this is a good way to evade the high cost of the software, but think about the future upgrades and advanced features you’ll miss.

Just ensure you get something that’s licensed!

Final Verdict

If you want to get the most out of your embroidery machine, you need to get the best embroidery software as soon as now.

Though most machines come with built-in design software, you’ll note that what they offer you is pure mediocrity compared to the 10 top-rated software we’ve discussed above.

Given that you invested heavily in your machine, it doesn’t make sense using it with a software that limits you to what you can do with your machine.

Unlock your creativity potential and that of your machine by grabbing one of the 10 most popular embroidery softwares we’ve recommended to you above.

I have had EXTREME difficulty getting help from DIME or any of their support sites since I purchased their Perfect Embroidery Professional digitizing softwares 6 months ago. Not only is there NOT a lot of printed info to assist you but their “Operations Manual” included in the software is not helpful in teaching you HOW to use it. I have tried to contact their support by phone and online without any success with no return calls when I explain that their system is sending me in circles. IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE THAT CAN TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THESE PEOPLE AND WHY THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS SO BAD!!!

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